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Successful Interviewing Skills

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First Impressions Count …

■ Do You Make The Best Impression You Can?• On-Time• Dress• Physical Contact• Eye Contact• Smile• Fidgeting

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Characteristics of aSuccessful Interview

• Preparation

• Presentation

• Content

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Preparation

• Research the Job and company• Review the Job Requirements• Know your CV• Know Where You Are Going• Be Prepared to Give Behavioral Based

Examples• Anticipate Questions• Be Prepared to Sell Yourself!

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Preparation

• Visualize Yourself In the Interview• Know this:

– There is no question you cannot answer– You are well suited to the position– You will be an asset to the department

• Bring:– Extra copies of CV– Paper and pen– A list of potential questions– Breath mints

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Interview Presentation

• Be Prepared and Responsive For Questions

• Take Time to Organise Your Thoughts• Make Effective Eye Contact and Smile• Express Confidence in Your Abilities• Consider Each Interview An Adventure!• Be Attentive to Body Language

–No gum–Watch those pens

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Leave The Baggage At The Door

• Shut the Door to Personal Trouble

• Don’t Slam Organization

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Interview Content

• Listen Carefully to the Question• Understand Behavioral Based Interviewing• Rehearse Your Answers• Sell Yourself!• Silence is Golden, Know When to Stop

Answering• Tie Your Background to the Position• Focus on Your Accomplishments• Turn Weaknesses Into Strengths

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Common Interview Questions

■ Tell me about yourself.

• The most often asked question in interviews. You need to have a short statement prepared in your mind. Be careful that it does not sound rehearsed. Limit it to work-related items unless instructed otherwise. Talk about things you have done and jobs you have held that relate to the position you are interviewing for.

■ What experience do you have in this field?• Speak about specifics that relate to the position you are applying for. If you do not have specific

experience, get as close as you can.

■ Do you consider yourself successful?• You should always answer yes and briefly explain why. A good explanation is that you have set

goals, and you have met some and are on track to achieve the others.

■ What do you know about this organization?• This question is one reason to do some research on the organization before the interview. Find

out where they have been and where they are going. What are the current issues and who are the major players?

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Common Interview Questions

■ Why do you want to work for this organization?• This may take some thought and certainly, should be based on the research you have done on

the organization. Sincerity is extremely important here and will easily be sensed. Relate it to your longterm career goals.

■ Why should we hire you?• Point out how your assets meet what the organization needs. Do not mention any other

candidates to make a comparison.

• What is your greatest strength?■ Numerous answers are good, just stay positive. A few good examples: Your ability to prioritize,

Your problem-solving skills, Your ability to work under pressure, Your ability to focus on projects Your professional expertise, Your leadership skills, Your positive attitude.

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Common Interview Questions

■ Are you a team player ?■ You are, of course, a team player. Be sure to have examples ready. Specifics that show you

often perform for the good of the team rather than for yourself are good evidence of your team attitude. Do not brag; just say it in a matter-of-fact tone. This is a key point.

■ How do you propose to compensate for your lack of experience?

■ First, if you have experience that the interviewer does not know about, bring that up: Then, point out (if true) that you are a hard working quick learner.

■ What kind of salary do you need?■ A loaded question. A nasty little game that you will probably lose if you answer first. So, do not

answer it. Instead, say something like, That is a tough question. Can you tell me the range for this position? In most cases, the interviewer, taken off guard, will tell you. If not, say that it can depend on the details of the job. Then give a wide range.

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Common Interview Questions

■ Do you have any questions for me?■ If you reply with a simple "No" you are telling the interviewer that you aren't really interested in the

job or the company. You should always prepare a list of questions to ask the interviewer before going to the interview. Avoid asking about salary, vacation time, employee benefits, etc. until you have asked a number of other questions that demonstrate your interest in working for the company.

• Is this a new position? How long has this position existed?• What type of projects will I be able to assist on?• What is this company's culture? • What are the current problems facing the company (or my department)? • What are the company's long and short term goals?• Describe the work environment.• Describe the opportunities for training and professional development.• Are there opportunities for advancement within the organization?• When can I expect to hear from you?

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Behavioral Based Interviewing

• Prepare your STAR’S• Situation or Task• Action Taken• Result of Your Action

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Behavioral Based Questions

• Can You Tell Me About A Time…• Think Specific• Don’t Say “Usually, Always, Or Never”• Say “I”• Be Prepared to Answer the Negative Question• Was The Result Positive? Measurable?• Don’t Forget To Smile• Be Concise

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Question Examples

■ Give an example of a goal you reached and tell me how you achieved it.

■ Give an example of a goal you didn't meet and how you handled it.

■ Describe a stressful situation at work and how you handled it.

■ When you worked on multiple projects how did you prioritize?

■ Give an example of how you worked on team.■ Have you handled a difficult situation with a co-worker?

How?

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Common Mistakes

■ Your resume is longer than that of a 25-year old professional.• Make a right-sized resume.

■ You didn’t prepare for the interview.• Interview preparation makes you look like a rock star during the conversation.

■ You didn’t bring questions.• Ask really good questions in the interview, it matters.

■ No “thank you note”.• What did you learn in the interview• Reveal even more awesome stuff about why you make sense for this job.

■ You dressed for failure.

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Common Mistakes

■ You don’t know what you want to do.• Saying that means “Invest time and money into me and maybe it will help me figure

out that I want to do something else”.• Stay focused.

■ Typos in CV and Cover Letter■ You don’t have LinkedIn Profile

• Makes you searchable, findable and professional.

■ Do an internship.• It makes a difference. • Gives you great stuff for bullets.

■ You lacked professional courtesy.• Late for the interview• Looked away when you shook hands• Introduced you to a colleague and you didn’t ask what she does

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Interview Follow-Up

• Common Interview Mistakes–Coming Unprepared–Not Smiling or Showing Enthusiasm–Negativity

• The Thank You Note• References

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Questions & Answers

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THANK YOU !!!